Mick Price says Golden Crusader is not your typical European import. Bred in France, Golden Crusader started his career in the UK and after five starts made his way to Australia and into the care of Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr at Cranbourne. Golden Crusader will attempt to follow a… Read More »
Refreshed after a break where he also got engaged, jockey Michael Dee has hit the ground running in the lead up to the Melbourne Spring Carnival. Dee landed a four-timer at Flemington late last month and has continued his good form into the early part of the new season. The… Read More »
Rachel King won’t be in action at Randwick on Saturday and with good reason. The Sydney-based jockey will make a hit-and-run visit to her native England this week to compete in the prestigious Shergar Cup at Ascot where she has been chosen to captain the Rest of the World team. It… Read More »
Queanbeyan trainer Joe Cleary is hoping King Gutho has done enough to put his name in the hat for a Kosciuszko slot with a breakthrough metropolitan win at Canterbury. Intent on advertising the gelding’s credentials for the $2 million feature, Cleary called on James Mcdonald to partner the six-year-old in the Vale George… Read More »
The Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young stable were expecting a positive debut at Sandown from Daggers but did not see the demolition job he did on his rivals. A half-brother to stablemate Muramasa, Daggers showed a scintillating turn of foot to claim the Tobin Brothers Celebrating Lives Plate (1300m) on Wednesday…. Read More »
Trainer Ciaron Maher has more than half the runners in the Travis Harrison Cup at Moonee Valley with half those runners on a potential Cups campaign. Smokin’ Romans, Interpretation and Duke De Sessa feature among nominations for the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) in October, while Too Close The Sun, Normandy Bridge and Wyclif will… Read More »
Chris Waller saw some positive signs in Manzoice’s first preparation as a gelding and he remains hopeful the Victoria Derby winner can continue to build on that this spring. The 2022 classic victor will be the first of Waller’s Group 1 brigade to kick off their season when he resumes in… Read More »
Who will be aboard star sprinter Giga Kick when he makes his return in the Concorde Stakes could become clearer next week when the gelding steps out in Sydney. The five-year-old had his most serious workout of what has been a lengthy campaign at Mornington on Wednesday when he finished second… Read More »
Luke Fernie was rapt with the run of Devoted in Melbourne on Saturday, driving ambitious Ascot carnival plans later this year. The Perth-owned six-year-old turned up for his Flemington challenge with a second placing behind Gentleman Roy in a 1410m handicap. Currently under the care of the Hayes brothers, Ben, JD… Read More »
After a winless winter campaign, the veteran gelding’s career isn’t finished yet and he’ll return to defend his Idyllic Prince Stakes (1300m) crown on August 24. Trainer Simon Miller said Valour Road is on song for his first-up run, albeit he’s mindful the nine-year-old is reaching the latter stages of a wonderful… Read More »
The spring picture has got a little clearer with the nominations closing for two of the three features in Melbourne, the Caulfield Cup and Cox Plate. Tuesday saw 173 horses entered for the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) on October 19 while there were 137 nominations for the Group 1… Read More »
Trainer Ciaron Maher took advantage of giving Melbourne Cup favourite Circle Of Fire a look at Moonee Valley as the imported galloper builds his fitness ahead of the Melbourne Spring Carnival. Circle Of Fire sits on the fourth line of Caulfield Cup betting while he is the $11 Melbourne Cup favourite ahead… Read More »
The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott stable is looking to bring two of last season’s leading two-year-olds to Melbourne in search of spring riches. Golden Slipper winner Lady Of Camelot is expected to commence her tilt at The Everest in the Group 1 Moir Stakes (1000m) at Moonee Valley next month… Read More »
James Cummings and the Godolphin race programmers will now get serious about putting Spring plans in place for some of their biggest names after a solid session of trials at Rosehill on Tuesday morning. Tom Kitten and Zardozi fought out one trial, Aft Cabin and Kallos ran one-two in another and Pericles was runner-up at a… Read More »
Chris Waller is still not 100 percent sure what Riff Rocket’s entire Spring campaign will look like, but the dual Derby winner will be given his chance to prove he can be an elite-level open-age stayer. The four-year-old American Pharoah gelding will be among the entries for the Cox Plate (2040m) and… Read More »
Two of Victorian racing’s biggest names continued their spring preparations on Monday morning, just hours before being revealed as finalists in the year Victorian Racehorse Of The Year. Pride Of Jenni and Mr Brightside had jumpouts 60km apart prior to being announced as Horse Of The Year rivals alongside Imperatriz, Romantic Warrior and… Read More »
Two of the highest-profile two-year-olds from last season, Lady Of Camelot and Storm Boy, took their spring preparations to a new level on Monday with trials at Randwick. The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott -trained duo made their first public appearances of the campaign in the trials that was originally scheduled for… Read More »
Sunday night’s impressive Group 1 Prix Maurice de Gheest hero Lazzat could be set for a trip across the globe as trainer Jerome Reynier earmarked the Golden Eagle at Rosehill as a potential target. Trained by Jerome Reynier in Marseille, the three-year-old gelding has gone from strength to strength this season, winning… Read More »
Jockey Will Gordon has ticked off one glaring omission from his record after Affluential took out the Grand National Hurdle at Sandown. While Gordon had won plenty of feature races over jumps since making the move from Ireland while also making a name for himself on the flat, he had… Read More »
Champion jumps jockey Steven Pateman is likely to recommend Stern Idol head to the Grand National Steeplechase at Ballarat following his easy victory at Sandown. Stern Idol ran away with the Crisp Steeplechase (4200m) at Sandown on Sunday, his fourth win in a steeplechase this year. Pateman said what weight Stern Idol… Read More »
